


Stakeout

by Leif Writes (FrankensteinsMomster)



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen, Gil is a good dad, Light Angst, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm Bright is Bi, teen Malcolm Bright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:46:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankensteinsMomster/pseuds/Leif%20Writes
Summary: Teenage Malcolm goes on a stakeout with Gil and asks for advice.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	Stakeout

"Hey, Gil can I ask you something?" He looked over at Malcolm sitting in the passenger's seat of the car. They were on a stakeout and had spent the better part of the last three hours in silence.

"Yeah kid, what is is it." He could see the hesitation in his face, brows furrowed, hand clenching and unclenching.

"How do I," he stopped and bit his lip for a moment and turned his head to look out the window, "howdoIasksomeoneout," the words came tumbling out in a jumble. It took Gil a moment to understand what he had said. 

Oh. 

He looked at the boy. He was getting older. A smattering of acne spread across his cheeks that no amount of money could completely get rid of. He had grown at least two inches over the summer. Even though he was married he felt wildly unprepared to answer the question. 

"Have you talked to your mom about this?" Malcolm snorted laughing and looked at him with a raised brow. 

"Oh yeah, great idea! Last time I mentioned I might vaguely like someone she called her parents and started planning the wedding," he crossed his arms and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. Gil shifted in his seat. Any comfort that had been in the silence before now long gone. He cleared his throat. 

“So, um. Does this girl have a name?” He watched the blush grow across Malcolm’s cheeks. 

“Does the name matter?”

“I’m just trying to get a clearer picture here. Is she tall, is she short, does she have long hair, what’re her hobbies, what’s her favorite color,” the teen chewed on his lip nervously still not looking at him. 

“You’re supposed to be giving me advice, not profiling them,” his hands were covering his face as if he could hide his embarrassment. The man sighed and rolled his eyes at him. 

“You know, getting to know someone and profiling them do have a lot in common. So come on, tell me about her, I’m not your mom. I’m not going to call her up. I’m not going to be planning any weddings. Talk to me kid,” he thought of reaching out to touch his shoulder but decided against it. Malcolm took a deep breath and groaned. 

“His name is Jason,” he replied “he’s taller than me. On the basketball team. We’re in A.P. Bio together. He’s got curly black hair. He does community service at a retirement home. I,” he hesitated, “I kinda followed him one day,” his voice failed him and this time Gil did reach out and grasp his arm. 

“He doesn’t make fun of me or make me feel like a freak.” 

“Malcolm, you’re not a freak. You don’t exactly have a normal life,” he gestured to the two of them sitting in the car, “but you deserve happiness just like anyone else. I dunno if not treating you like garbage is the best standard you should be holding yourself to but he sounds like an alright guy,” Malcolm rested his head against Gil’s hand for a moment before sitting up and clearing his throat. 

“So you’re not going to ask me when I started liking guys?” 

“I’m old but I’m not blind kid,” Gil laughed. It was his turn to blush, he hadn’t been prepared for this. He knew it would happen eventually but conversations about dating, asking people out, and (heaven help him) practicing safe sex had been something he had hoped wouldn’t come up for another year or two. He took a sip of his long cold coffee and set it back down into the cupholder.

“Alright, so here’s what you could do.”


End file.
